As you may know, the traditional Japanese food, Mochi (餅), is a plain rice cake made of glutinous rice called Mochi Gome (餅米).
Mochi is available in various forms, and the sweets made with the cake or with a texture like Mochi are generally called Mochi Gashi (餅菓子).
Mochi is a staple in the winter in Japan, commonly eaten in soup dishes, plus we enjoy it as Mochigashi throughout the year.
Quite a few regions of my country have their specialty Mochigashi, which includes Niigata’s Sasa Dango (笹団子) and Nagano and Gifu Prefectures’ Gohei Mochi (五平餅).
Sasa Dango is a grass-mixed Mochi cake, pounded with mugwort called Yomogi (蓬), and wrapped with sweet red bean paste called Anko (餡子).
In its name, Sasa (笹) stands for the bamboo leaves used as a wrapper for the confection, which has a bactericidal effect, and people favored the dumpling as a portable food in the old days.
Moving on to the main topic, I got this piece of Sasa Mochi (笹餅) from my family today.
Sasa Mochi is a variant of Sasa Dango. It is a plain steamed Mochi wrapped with a bamboo leaf, so I prepared Kinako (きな粉) roasted soy flour for the rice cake.
The white cake is edible as is, but since the yellow flour Kinako usually comes in unseasoned, I added some sugar to it for sweetness.
As the bamboo leaf wrapper prevents the Mochi from drying, the rice cake inside retains its moisture and is fresh.
I made Kinako Mochi (きな粉餅) by coating the Mochi with the Kinako and deliciously enjoyed it!
In its name, Sasa (笹) stands for the bamboo leaves used as a wrapper for the confection, which has a bactericidal effect, and people favored the dumpling as a portable food in the old days.
Mochi is available in various forms, and the sweets made with the cake or with a texture like Mochi are generally called Mochi Gashi (餅菓子).
I made Kinako Mochi (きな粉餅) by coating the Mochi with the Kinako and deliciously enjoyed it!
Mochi is a staple in the winter in Japan, commonly eaten in soup dishes, plus we enjoy it as Mochigashi throughout the year.
Sasa Mochi is a variant of Sasa Dango. It is a plain steamed Mochi wrapped with a bamboo leaf, so I prepared Kinako (きな粉) roasted soy flour for the rice cake.
Misao Kuwata, a 92-year-old Japanese woman, has become famous for her sasa-mochi, a rice cake wrapped in bamboo leaves. Her mochi is known for its soft texture; it melts in the mouth and brings smiles to peoples faces. Misao makes 300 cakes in a day, twice a week, and sends the sasa-mochi to the supermarket, where they fly off the shelf. About her process for making these treats, made of rice powder, red bean paste and sugar, Misao says, It takes a lot of time and effort. Much of the work is done by hand, sifting repeatedly and mixing until the batter is perfect. Through the summer, Misao picks the bamboo leaves in which she wraps, storing them for use all year. Spare no effort and put your heart and soul into it is the motto she lives by.
How to make delicious sasa mochi【Japanese mochi wrapped with bamboo leaves】子供の日 レシピ アメリカ
What is Sasa-mochi?
“Sasa-mochi” is a seasonal specialty made locally in Aomori during the early summer months when new sasa bamboo leaves come in season. Unlike sasa-mochi from other regions, the sasa-mochi in Aomori is wrapped in the sasa leaves without binding and takes advantage of the antibacterial properties of sasa leaves.
Where did sasamochi come from?
Once the mochi is perfected, it is then artfully wrapped in the leaf, It’s said that Sasamochi’s Kanto origins come from Tokyo’s Chomeiji Temple, when former Shoguante Tokugawa Yoshimue planted cherry blossom trees along the Sumida River, which subsequently lured in tourists for the annual hanami.
What is Sasa mochi?
Sasa Mochi is a variant of Sasa Dango. It is a plain steamed Mochi wrapped with a bamboo leaf, so I prepared Kinako (きな粉) roasted soy flour for the rice cake. The white cake is edible as is, but since the yellow flour Kinako usually comes in unseasoned, I added some sugar to it for sweetness.
How to cook Sasa-wrapped mochi?
Place the mochi on the top side of the leaves and wrap them up. Sasa leaves can be omitted if sasa leaves are not available. If the mochi becomes tough, simply roast the sasa-wrapped mochi before enjoying it.